If you were a big time recruit?

Submitted by Hugh Jass on

With NSD nearby and coaches scrambling to get the last remaining recruits safely tucked away - I wonder what I would do if I were a four or five star recruit?  Thinking about Mr. McDowell and his process and waiting until the end of the recruiting season, I wonder what I would have done as a 17 / 18 year old?

With the twitter and social media, plus the army of coaches recruiting with the plethora of tactics......what would you do if you were in those 4/5 star shoes?  Think about being 18 again and going through the process as it is today.  Would you commit early?  Would you take every visit possible?  I know my parents would have had a profound influence on my decision.  What about you?

Farnn

February 2nd, 2014 at 11:56 AM ^

I'm as big a Michigan fan as anyone, but if I was a 5* recruit I'd pick Stanford over Michigan. Between football, weather, and academics Stanford has it all right now.

Reader71

February 2nd, 2014 at 12:05 PM ^

I committed early, a game or two into my senior year. I always wanted to go to Michigan, and I accepted the offer on the spot. So my experience isn't exactly like McDowell's.

What's people who haven't been through it don't realize is there is always one place that feels like home. You might have a favorite school, you might have a favorite coach, you might want to play now, you might have a long prioritized checklist, but in the end, there is one place that gets you as soon as you step on campus. For me, Michigan was my dream, I loved the coaches, and it was right academically, so it just clicked.

But I knew other guys who were all over the map. One guy said he was 99% on Michigan during a visit because of what Michigan had to offer, but that he felt at home at USC (Cali guy). He ended up there. One guy said he felt totally at home at M, but went somewhere that he could play earlier. But generally, I think, most guys fall in love with a place and end up there, regardless of their supposed priorities.

This is why I wonder about these late signing guys: do they not have that moment? If not, that kind of sucks for them. I'd hate to be truly undecided.

UMgradMSUdad

February 2nd, 2014 at 12:09 PM ^

I probably would have been convinced I'd be playing in the NFL in a few years anyway, so I would have looked to whatever school had the best partying and would give me the best shot at the NFL. 

ChiCityWolverine

February 2nd, 2014 at 12:12 PM ^

UCLA and Texas would be front runners. Other visits to Clemson, Georgia, and Miami. As an elite 17 year old athlete, the main criteria are NFL chances, fit with staff, and weather/women. Academics push UCLA and Texas to be the initial favorites.

Mr. Yost

February 2nd, 2014 at 12:13 PM ^

To Hawaii, Miami, Texas, Arizona St. and Florida St. all over the summer before my senior year.

Then I would've committed to Michigan and started recruiting teammates.

jdon

February 2nd, 2014 at 12:16 PM ^

five visits... all to the south.  fuck every girl i can, pop mollys, party...

that is what the 18 year old me would have done...

 

now a days I think it would be cool to see a player 'troll' a team, commit, and then decommit on signing day, commit to rival.  that would be awesome.

 

obviously, I have no respect for the recruiting process.  i have following since reading about fargas and company in the fishbowl... but it basically is just a huge propaganda machine...

 

Naked Bootlegger

February 2nd, 2014 at 12:18 PM ^

It would be Michigan or bust for me.   I had a small-time taste of recruiting at the division II level, and I detested it even though it was so very tame compared to modern recruiting pressures at FBS schools.  So I would probably be a Ferns or Morris early commit-type, then help with recruiting my future teammates.  No shame in that route.  

canzior

February 2nd, 2014 at 12:18 PM ^

A number of times, being around Dashawn, Tim Settle, and Matt Burrell. I would have michigan on the list being a fan, but the rest of the list would be the usual suspects. It also depends on my position as well and the depth chart. I'd be a wr/cb so I'd consider fsu, Bama, lsu for cb and Michigan, fsu, USC, Clemson, and Oklahoma

The Dirty Nil

February 2nd, 2014 at 12:21 PM ^

I wouldn't have any social networking accounts that were public, I'd be reserved and mysterious. No interviews and always incognito. Then I'd commit to a different school every month from the time my senior year starts until NSD. On NSD I'd finally give an interview after I commit to Old Dominion, and it would be similar to Richard Sherman's.

Canadian

February 2nd, 2014 at 12:33 PM ^

I would take any an all visits I could just to see what's out there. I'm a huge college sports fan so I'd like to see different stadiums. I would try to set up visits with B1G schools that coincide with Michigan games whether it be on the hard court, the gridiron or the ice.

MI_JEEPER

February 2nd, 2014 at 1:06 PM ^

I'm 19 right now. I would take every visit I could. I'd get to go to free games and vacations all the time. I would probably drag it out as long as I could!

jballen4eva

February 2nd, 2014 at 1:10 PM ^

You need to narrow this hypothetical a bit.  I'm going to assume that:

(a) it's 1988 (when I was a high school senior);

(b) I am a great football prospect; and 

(c) otherwise, it was me.  

It's still hard to say, because my lack of athletic ability was a big part of who I was.  For example, would I have been so shy around girls if I was a super-athlete?  

I would probably have gone to Michigan, because I was raised to love Michigan football.  Or maybe I would have checked out an Ivy League school.  I wanted to be around really smart people, because I thought that this would have made everything better, like it did in Real Genius.  

Cali Wolverine

February 2nd, 2014 at 1:42 PM ^

...announcement with my family...visit Michigan, Texas, USC, Stanford and an SEC school. Then probably committ to Stanford (b/c there were no spots available for me at Michigan due to all of the early commits and no visit policy)...and use my football skills to my advantage and get a Stanford education.

Doc Brown

February 2nd, 2014 at 2:02 PM ^

When I was 17 as a senior, all I cared about academics and getting into the best school as I could. I also ran cross country (but I sucked). My goal was to make my decision early and just focus on school and sports. If i was in Malik's shoes I would have committed early to the best academic school to get it over with and keep telling the other coaches trying to poach me to suck an egg. I couldn't care less about the social scence  so I would have laughed in Dantonio's face. 

Mgodiscgolfer

February 2nd, 2014 at 2:49 PM ^

admit that I would probably take all the visits down south I could during the winter and probably out west as well, then when the party is over, I would commit to UM and get down to business.

991GT3

February 2nd, 2014 at 3:00 PM ^

Do I want to play pro football and if so which has the best coaching staff that will successfully get me into the NFL. Also, I would want to know if I will get playing time which often is dependent on how many other top players have been recruited for my position by the school. 

If I don't have an interest or talent to play in the NFL, academics certainly would be my top priority. However, academics is a minor consideration for a talented five star player.

bigfan2959

February 2nd, 2014 at 3:46 PM ^

I'd take all the visits and commit afterward.  Why not fully explore your options, and see some different places in the process.  If I lived around here, I would probably not use an official on MIchigan, because they are close by.  I'd definitely do what I thought was best for me regardless of my parents opinions, though I would solicit them.  I'd probably see if I could pick up some dough on the way too.  Maybe some alums would give you a $100 handsake. I'd probably go to whatever school was paying the best if any were.  I'd like a school that would actually afford me the opportunity to get a degree, but whoever paid the best is probably where I'd go, and I'd be carefully of who I let know I was getting paid.  I wouldn't want the wrong people finding out about the payments, and I wouldn't want the school paying me to be found out and get in trouble.  Ideally also a school with a track record of sending players at my position to the pros. 

On the off chance that any of my sons is good enough to be a four star, I will encourage them to do the same.  Honestly the idea of one of my sons going off to play to help keep some rich coach wealthy and getting his body beat up in the process wouldn't exactly thrill me.  At the very least, I would never want to send me son anywhere where I wasn't certain they'd never have football imped on his ability to collect the little wage he officially would get, that is his education, and where they'd keep him out if it looked like he was hurt and playing would make it worse. 

trueblueintexas

February 2nd, 2014 at 4:19 PM ^

My driving criteria:
1) proximity to home. Not too close, but not so far away I could never see my family.
2) relationship with the coaching staff. They are going to be one of the most influential parts of my life, I better trust them.
3) the vibe of the professors. Most educations are equal to the effort you put in, but really good and personable professors can make a huge difference in how hard you are willing to work.

club2230

February 2nd, 2014 at 5:53 PM ^

This is based on no UofM offer which I would jump on.  I would hope that I am mature enough to make this decision.

Ultimately I want to be in a place where I will end up successful.  

Athletics:

  1. I want to be in a program in which my skillset fits with the scheme.
  2. I want to be in a program with a recent history of developing players.
  3. I want to be in a prestigious program historically speaking.
  4. I want to be a part of a good program.

Academics:

  1. I want to have good academic support with regards to being an athlete.
  2. I want to be able to fall back on a relevant degree if I don't pan out athletically, or if I get injured.
  3. I would like to be able to have a variety of majors encouraged and none discouraged.

Things I don't really care about:

  1. Jerseys
  2. School prestige with regards to arbitrary rankings.
  3. Location

Wiseguy

February 2nd, 2014 at 6:03 PM ^

Keep in mind even with you committing early you would still have recruiting pressure. Coaches still recruit you since a verbal means nothing.

Now if it was me....10 years ago I would have committed to Michigan early in a heartbeat. But kids these days want to win and go to the league. I'd probably end up committing to an SEC school on signing day. Play for championships and a pro factory.

BlueMarrow

February 2nd, 2014 at 8:30 PM ^

Your first premise is to disregard "Knowing what you know now."

I probably would have been wooed to the golden coast. One trip to USC and I never would have looked back.

West German Judge

February 2nd, 2014 at 9:57 PM ^

I would probably check out the ~best~ school from each of the five power conferences and make those my official visit.  My parents would help me narrow it down.

B1G: Michigan>OSU>Northwestern.

PAC: Stanford>Cal>USC

ACC: Notre Dame*>UNC=Duke>Virginia

SEC: Florida>Alabama>Georgia

B12: Texas>Oklahoma

I have west coast connections and grew up in Michigan watching the Rose Bowl, so I'd probably commit to a Big Ten or Pac-12 school.